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The pink ball, as it stands, is a failure, and the experiment must be called off. It is that simple. The playing of a day-night Test always looked like it was rushed at the insistence of Channel Nine,and now it looks set to backfire on Cricket Australia in a bad way.
The latest version of the pink ball has again been shown not to be up to match standards.
Adam Voges is reported as saying the ball was “more green than pink” as it got older, after the Prime Minister’s XI game in Canberra. And that was in less than 50 overs with conditions a little less abrasive than Adelaide is likely to produce.
Other versions of the pink ball have been similarly unsuccessful.
When interviewed by Channel Nine or with a Cricket Australia representative watching on, players haven’t spoken out against the pink ball. When given more freedom to talk, however, the ball has almost universally received criticism.
This year’s ball is yet another poor attempt, and no better than the others. And this has not just been an Australian issue. Day-night first-class games were met with near universal condemnation when trialled in South Africa a few years ago.
Put simply, as things stand the painted and lacquered balls – white, pink or other colours – do not keep their colour. Only the dyed ball, the red ball, does so to any suitable degree. Kookaburra, and other manufacturers, may need to look at other options. Unfortunately, I’m not sure of options there are, but there must be some.
There have been numerous issues raised by other players in the past. From Chris Rogers’ colour blindness to possible Test selections such as Mitchell Starc saying the ball could be dangerous. The New Zealand players were very reluctant to agree to play the Test under lights. They eventually relented after New Zealand Cricket had reluctantly agreed.
If Cricket Australia put it to New Zealand Cricket, there is no doubt they would agree to play the Test as a day game.
Even once a ball is manufactured which retains its colour playing at night, it must never become a pre-condition. Some cities are simply not conducive to playing cricket at night, due to local climate. That can be overlooked for the short forms, but for the premium form of the game having fair conditions to play in must be paramount.
Once a ball is found it needs to undergo a proper trial, over many games in different conditions, before being introduced at the highest level. I would start with non-competitive games, meaning the PM’s XI was a good place. National ‘A’ games may be another.
Once a ball is found that works, then schedule some Sheffield Shield matches. Only when the ball has been proven at that level should a day-night Test be considered. And only when the same type of ball has been shown to hold up in a variety of circumstances.
Cricket Australia has gone the wrong way around, scheduling the matches and then hoping a ball be produced. It hasn’t. And Cricket Australia knew Kookaburra had gone back and were using yet another unproven version of the pink ball. It’s time to cut their losses and make the Test a day game.
Day-night Test cricket may well have a future, but it should not be in the present.
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